Engine



J1me 1931- E. J. COLLYER 1,810,130

ENGINE Filed March 11, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR w IIII s5 1 ATTORNEY June 16, 1931. E. J. COLLYER 7 1,810,130

I ENGINE Filed March 11, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet 2 I my [52 2719];-

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 16, 1931. E. J. COLLYER ENGINE Filed March 11, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z'mvyJlbZZyer;

ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1931 U H STATE .EMERYJ. GOLLYER, F HENRYETTA, OKLAHOMA ENGINE Application filed March 11, 1930. Serial No. 434,933. 7 i

This invention relates to steam engines and has as its primary object to provide a steam engine embodying a power transmlsslon means which will be devoid of cranks, so that the shaft which is driven by the engine will have impartedfto it a continuous rotative movement at a uniform rate of speed and with a uniform application of power, and therefore differs from an engine in which power is transmitted by .meansof a crank shaft driven by the piston rod or rods of the ordinary engines of this type, and the mechanism is therefore adapted to deliver maximum power at a slow speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide. a power transmission mechanism in whichthe rotative movement of the drive pulley will be uniform on all strokes of the engine piston, which is impossible by the employment of a crank shaft motion.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafterfully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings,;and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that minor changes may be made solong as they fall within the scope of the claim. 1 r

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote like or'corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which t' Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the engineand motion transmitting means embodying the invention. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on, the line 33 of Figurel, l-ookingin the direction indicated by the arrows, and illustrating the gearing through the mediumof which power is transmitted, from the piston rod of the engine to the power shaft of theengine. i

Figures 1 and are sectional views taken respectively on the lines 4.-4- and-5 -5 of ,Figure'3, and illustrating the ratchet and pawl devices by which motion is transmitted from the engine to the power shaft.v i 3 Figure '6 is avertical transverse sectional view taken substantially onthe line 67-1-6 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The engine and power transmissionmecha nism are preferably mounted upon a base structure indicated bythe numeral 1 and a frame structure 2 is mounted upon the base structure and supports th'e steam. engine, the cylinder of which is indicated by the numeral 3 and the piston rodby the numeral {4, the

valve casing of the engine being indicated' by the numeral 5 and the numeral 6 indicating a steamsupply pipe which leads from a boiler (not shown) The numeral 7 indicate'sa pair of uprights which are mounted upon one end of the base 1, and one endof the framestruc "ture2 is provided with downwardly extend' ing'portions 8 whichare secured to the upper ends of these uprights, this portion of the framebeing in this manner, braced. Bearings 9 are provided upon the uprights 8 and a shaft 10 is journalled in these bearings and has fixed upon it affly'whe'el 11. A crank12 'is'provided at one end of the shaft 10 and a connecting rod 13 is connected to this crank and to a cross head 14 slidably mounted between spaced members 15 upon the upper side of the frame structure 2. A bearingmember 16 is secured to the upper sides of the members 15 and is provided with an opening 17 through which extends the valve rod 18 of the engine 3. A head 19 is fixed upon the valve rod 18, and a connecting rod 20 is piv- "etaliy connected with the said head,- at one end, and at its other end to the collar member of an eccentric which is indicated by the numeral 21 and the disk of which eccentric is fixed upon the shaft 10.

At this point it will be understood that, when the steam is supplied to the engine by way of the steam supply pipe 6, the piston 4 will bereciprocated and the reciprocatory motion of this piston will impart shifting movement to the cross head 14 and therefore rotary motion will be imparted to the shaft 10 to operate the valve rod 18 in consonance with the movement of the piston.

The power transmitting mechanism of the invention comprises a shaft 21' which is mounted in suitable bearings 22' upon the base frame 1 of the structure, and a pulley 23 is fixed upon one end of this shaft and constitutes means whereby power maybe delivered to any mechanism or part to be driven by the engine. Segmentalgears, indicated by "the numeral 24, are rotatably mounted upon thes'haft 21 and each gear has an arcuate series of gear teeth indicated by the numeral 25. The invention contemplates rotation of these gears, in consonance, but independently of each other, through the medium of rack bars which mesh with the gears and which will presently be more specifically described andmeans is therefore provided for clutching gears 24, alternately with the shaft 21. This means comprises an internal ratchet gear 26 which has a hub secured to the shaft 21 by means of a cross pin 27 and by reference to Figures 3 to 5 inclusive, it will be observed thatthese internal ratchet gears are arranged one atthe inner side of each of the segmental gears 24, the teeth of the ratchet gears being indicated by'the numeral 28 and extending in a continuous series in the instance of each gear. I

As shown in Figures 4 and 5,'the teeth 28 ofthe ra'tchet gears are presented in opposite directions with respect to each other. Pawls 29 are mounted upon the pins 30, in turn mounted'upon the inner face of each gear24 and springs 31 bear against abutments 32 upon the said face of each gear and against the respective pawls 29. As the teeth 28 of the'ratchet gear are relatively oppositely disposed, in the instance of the two-gears, the

pawls 29 are likewise oppositely disposed.

he numeral 33 indicates rackbars for coaction 'with the segmental gears 24, and one of these bars is mounted at its forward end upon the upper end ofa bracket member 34 upon one end of an arm 35 which extends from one side of the cross head 14 and through a slot 36 in the respective one of the uprights 15, a similar arm 37 extending from the other side of the cross'head and through a slot 38 in the other upright 15 and provided with an upwardlyextendi'ng bracket member wardly from the arm 35. The rack bars 33 are extended in parallel relation to each other except that they are offset with respect to each other both vertically and laterally, and the cross bar which is mounted upon the bracket member 39 is provided upon its under side with a series of rack teeth which are indicated by the numeral 33, and these teeth are adapted to mesh with the teeth of the segmental gear which is located at the same side of the machine as is the said rack bar, the end of the bar being led between rollers 40 mounted at the upper end of an upright 41 upon the base frame 1, and the other rack bar 33 is supported by a depending bracket member 34, at one end thereof and extends beneath the other one of the segmental gears as best shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, the end of this bar being passed between anti-friction rollers 42.

From the foregoing description of'the invention, it will be evident that the rack bars will, in the reciprocation of the cross head 14 be reciprocated simultaneously and that in their reciprocatory motion, rotary motion will be imparted alternately by the segmental gears to the internal ratchet gears extending for approximately one quarter of the circumference of the respective gear, it Will be evident that the engagement of the racks with the respective gear teeth will result in a continuous rotary motion being imparted to the shaft 21 and, inasmuch as power is applied, in the movement of the piston, in a straight line, it will be evident that the rotation of the shaft 21 will be at a uniform rate of speed. This arrangement provides for greater power being obtained even though the cylinder of the engines is of less capacity than the ordinary steam engine, as there is greater leverage obtained to overcome the resistance offered by the load, or in other words, the machine or the like to be driven by the engine. It will'also be evident that rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 21 by a push and pull power transmitting means so that there is less torsional strain on the shaft and it is, as stated above, driven at a uniform rate of speed.

While the mechanism comprising the power transmitting unit of the present invention is illustrated and described herein as adapted for use in connection with a steam engine, it will be evident that it might equally as well be employed with an internal combustion engine.

What I claim is An engine including a base having a power take-off shaft journalled adjacent one end thereof and provided with a belt wheel, a frame mounted on the base and extending from the other end thereof to a point intermediate the ends of said base, areciprocating engine carried by the frame, a head secured to'the engine and reciprocated thereby, guide members on the frame for the head and having slots, laterally extending arms on the head and slidable in the slots, vertical standards on the base, rack bars slidable on the standards and arranged in a plane one above the other and laterally of each other, Vertical brackets connecting the bars to the arms, segmental gears journalled on the shaft and in mesh With the rack bars, and pawl and ratchet means between the shaft and gears. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EMERY J. COLLYER. 

